“The provost wants to see the slut and the wolf,” she said. Melody looked up at the owner of the shrill voice, one of Shawna’s cronies.
“Well, I’m sure she’ll find a nice porn channel to watch it on,” Melody said, and remained seated.
“You have to go, now!” she reiterated.
Melody canted her head to the side. “Where?”
“To see the provost, she asked to see you and Asher.”
“Oh! As well as the porn movie? I hope not at the same time.” Melody ignored the spluttering witch and stood up before pinning her with a fierce look.
“Maybe if you’d made yourself clear instead of repeating things fresh from the mind of a twelve-year-old, there wouldn’t have been any confusion. I’ll let the provost know you need help with your linguistic skills. I’m sure there’s a tutor here who can help you.”
She downed her juice in one go, and turned to leave, the three shifters walking with her.
“She said you and Asher,” the witch called after her.
“Yes, I gathered that, although you really need to work on your delivery of messages,” Melody tossed back, exiting the hall.
2. Dean
It was his bonding all over again, this time minus that screeching harpy, Shawna. The teachers lined the edges of the room as he, Melody and the rest of the Apex, along with Trent and the asshole walked in. He wouldn’t go as far to say that their reception was as chilly as it was last time, but it still wasn’t warm and welcoming. Well, except for the provost, he could see the twinkle of delight in her eyes. For some reason, she had taken a special interest in his witch, and as long as that was an advantage, Dean welcomed it.
“I’m sorry to have to do this to you again, Melody, but complaints have been made that your bonding to Asher was irregular,” she sighed. “Could you please tell us, in your own words, what happened?”
“Yes, Provost,” Melody responded, obediently. “Asher challenged me last term, and I told him that I would accept his challenge after the holidays. I wanted my mind to be clear for the advanced course with Professor Ludwig.”
Several of the teachers nodded in approval.
“This morning at breakfast, Asher challenged me again, and given that it was indeed after the holidays, I accepted.” Melody paused for a moment, clearly thinking of how to word what she said next. “Asher was drawing it out, showing off, taking his time to shift, so I didn’t wait for him to finish. He was on his hands and knees, and he was growing fur. I couldn’t see his face because his head was down, but I could sense his wolf was present. So, I ordered him to shift and pushed my magic at him. He immediately shifted back.”
There were murmurs from amongst the staff.
Dean growled, glaring at the asshole, the others looking at him in anger too. The air practically vibrated with the tension between them all. If Asher had thought he’d just be accepted amongst them, he’d thought wrong.
“Shawna protested immediately that it wasn’t a proper challenge because I hadn’t allowed him to complete his shift. So, I asked him to shift again, waited until he had completed it, and then I forced his shift upon him so that he was human again. Apparently that didn’t satisfy her either, since she reasoned he was already half bonded to me.”
“I see,” said the provost. “And you, Asher, do you agree with this account?”
Dean could smell the discomfort on his bond-mate, Asher was embarrassed.
“Yes, Provost. I was showing off for Melody, I wanted her to see how much control I had over my shift, that I could make it happen slowly. I didn’t think she’d be bothered by the wait, I can see now the error of my assumption that she would be pleased.”
Dean was surprised, he hadn’t expected the asshole to own it, but then again, he could now feel the pain that she was in, and Asher had to know that he was the cause of most of it.
“Very well. Melody, this is an unusual circumstance, I don’t think anyone has tested the efficacy of a half changed shifter. However, as we cannot have the matter in doubt, I am afraid that I will again have to sever the bond, and because he has already challenged you twice today, it would be imprudent to ask him to challenge you again. As you would know, a challenge takes a bit out of a shifter, and I wouldn’t want claims that you had bonded him while he was recovering.” The provost looked regretful. “I will sever the bond, and then in three days time, Asher will challenge you again if he should so wish.”
The provost reached into a desk drawer and produced three small bottles. “Gentlemen, I believe you know how to use these properly?”
“I do, Provost,” Nick said seriously, as disturbed by what was about to come as Dean was.
“Very well, Melody, do whatever it is that you must, to prepare yourself for the backlash. Asher, I suggest that you sit down, this will not be a gentle thing to endure. Ryan, Austin, if you could help your fellow wolf, I would appreciate it.”
The two wolf shifters nodded and moved to flank Asher, who stubbornly stayed on his feet. Nick picked up the bottles, while Dean and Justin flanked Melody. She knelt on the floor and placed her hands on the flagstones. There was no room for pride here — she knew she was going to pass out again, and she didn’t want to fall on what would soon be her seriously fucked up back. Three days of the geas? How in hell’s name was she going to survive that?
“You know it will be stronger this time,” Melody stated, warning them all.
“You don’t know that, love,” Dean soothed her, worried about what was
